The World Cup is no longer a driver for new tactical trends. It lags behind club
football in terms of innovation. Instead, the World Cup has become a solidifier of new tactical norms. The FIFA World Cup 2018 was the set piece tournament as 73 out of 169 goals were from sets. This mimics the club innovations of set-piece coaching specialists and the value of set pieces.
A clear new tactical norm is attacking direct free kicks having an attacking wall with the intention of blocking the goalkeepers view. In World Cup 2010 and 2014 most teams put attackers in the wall for the purpose of disrupting or collapsing the wall and positioning for a rebound. 2018 was all about obscuring the goalkeepers line of vision.
England Tactic
Kieran Trippier’s goal vs Croatia demonstrates the new intentionality, detail, and benefit of obscuring a goalkeepers line of vision. Next to the wall, you see Harry Maguire and Jesse Lingard looking back at the keeper allowing a path between for the keeper to see the ball.
As Trippier goes to strike the ball Lingard and Maguire close the gap between them to block the vision of the keeper. The goalkeeper’s reaction is to stand straight up moving into a less athletic position.
Trippier hits a great shot and is greatly aided by the attacking wall intentionally obscuring the goalkeeper. By the time the goalkeeper picks up the ball, it is past him. Any reduction in the goalkeeper’s reaction time increases the margin of error needed by the free kick taker.
